Father of Britney Spears Reportedly Used the Christian Faith to Control Her

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Source: rhysadams CC by 2.0

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As pop superstar Britney Spears and her #FreeBritney supporters celebrate the expected dissolution of her lengthy conservatorship, new details are emerging about how she was treated during the past 13 years. Sources tell TMZ that Spears’ father and his business partners limited Britney’s reading options to religious materials and didn’t associate with people who weren’t “good” Christians.

On social media, Britney Spears recently thanked her fans and the persistent #FreeBritney movement. She also has announced her conversion to Catholicism and her engagement to boyfriend Sam Asghari. Last month, the singer’s father filed to terminate the conservatorship he established in 2008, back when Britney was dealing with mental health issues and stressors. A final ruling on the issue is expected in November.

Dad Thought Faith Could Cure Britney Spears

Jamie Spears, Britney’s father, reportedly became a born-again Christian after spending some time in rehab in 2004. Sources indicate he brought in several other devout Christians to help oversee his daughter’s business dealings and personal life, via the conservatorship.

During the early portion of the conservatorship, Jamie and these partners reportedly “walked around with the Bible in hand, proselytizing,” according to TMZ. “For a time, they would only let Britney read religious material,” and the conservators had “a large measure of intolerance for anyone who wasn’t a ‘good Christian.’”

Lynne Spears, Britney’s mother, writes in a memoir that faith even played a role in the timing of establishing the conservatorship. In early 2008, writes Lynne, Jamie and his business manager “felt God leading them to wait, fast and pray, despite the frustration of a phalanx of lawyers.”

Control Extended to Medical and Life Decisions

Managing the profits from Britney’s concert performances soon became more important to her conservators, according to sources. But the singer’s life and decisions still were under tight control and supervision.

During an emotional court hearing in June, Spears testified, “I want to be able to get married and have a baby. I was told I’m not able to get married. I have an IUD inside me so I won’t get pregnant, but this so-called team won’t let me go to the doctor to take it out.”

In August, the singer and mother of two briefly posted an Instagram story announcing her conversion from Baptist to Catholic. When news of her allegedly unwanted IUD broke, some Catholics defended her, saying coerced birth control is “deeply disturbing.”

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Stephanie Martin
Stephanie Martin, a freelance writer and editor in Denver, has spent her entire 30-year journalism career in Christian publishing. She loves the Word and words, is a binge reader and grammar nut, and is fanatic (as her family can attest) about Jeopardy! and pro football.

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